Video 2:55
Last Look

Transcript

And now it's time for a look back at the week and I am joined by two journalists Peter Kennedy and Pam Casellas. Thanks for your time.

PETER KENNEDY: Eliza.

ELIZA BLUE: Peter, Julia Gillard's campaigning in Perth today. But she's had a bit of trouble this week fighting both the Opposition and those within her party, hasn't she?

PETER KENNEDY: Well she has and those within her party, I mean every leader's nightmare. They say in politics disunity is death but I think she's handled it reasonably well and the internal problems, particularly the leaks that have come up a couple of times during the campaign now she said initially she wasn't going to comment on the leaks and she wasn't going to comment on Mr Rudd' alleged involvement in the leaks.

But when she did, sort of break that commitment, when she did call that impromptu news conference, I think it was earlier in the week in Adelaide, she came out fighting and probably gave her most impressive performance of the campaign.

ELIZA BLUE: Pam?

PAM CASELLAS: I think that's been, in fact, the message of the campaign so far, hasn't it?

It's been so bland, it's been so organised, they've all been so on message that the moment that she departed from the script if you like it elevated her entire performance to another level.

There's a message in that, isn't there, that perhaps they're too tightly scripted, too tightly controlled that if they were allowed to answer a question and show a bit of emotion, show some passion, then maybe the electorate might feel a similar degree of passion.

ELIZA BLUE: What do you think, though, Tony Abbott this week he's been very keen since the Liberal Party conference that Peter and I went to last Saturday here in Perth to show that he does indeed, not only does he like women, he loves women, he's surrounded by women.

How has he been travelling this week?

PAM CASELLAS: WelL I think he's had a much better week, hasn't he? He did well on the debate last week, well most people seem to think that it was too close to call anyway, so in that sense he started the week off well.

I think the idea of bringing the wife and the daughter was not a bad one. I mean we're not silly are we, we do see through these little ruses but it certainly did have the effect, I think, that they hoped it would have. It put women back in his luck, good heavens the man's got three children hasn't he? A wife and three girls.

Surrounded by strong women.

PETER KENNEDY: Surrounded by strong women, strong women.

PAM CASELLAS: He doesn't need to prove anything I don't think.

ELIZA BLUE: And Julie Bishop as well, who's as the strongest of the lot.

PETER KENNEDY: Toughest woman in the Parliament.

ELIZA BLUE: That's right.

PAM CASELLAS: And with a death stare as well.

ELIZA BLUE: That's true.

Now look this week as well a bit closer to home, the workers that went on straight up in the north west, were threatened, this is earlier in the year, with $28,000 fines each. Big penalties but it brought the industrial relations debate back into the spectrum, particularly unions.

Pam, is this a help or a hindrance for the Government?

PAM CASELLAS: Well Work Choices has been something that Tony Abbott's had to work very hard to distance himself from, apart from killing it and burying it and cremating it. So it does bring the whole issue of industrial relations back into the spotlight I think.

So, yes, it does, it certainly gives Labor an avenue of saying,'Well, you know, look out this is what will happen.'

ELIZA BLUE: Alright both of you, thank you very much for your time.

PAM CASELLAS: Thanks Eliza.

PETER KENNEDY: Thanks Eliza.

ELIZA BLUE, PRESENTER: And that's Stateline for this week.

We leave you with Pilbara train driver turned award winning country music singer Tenielle Musulin, who is performing in Karratha this weekend.